Danny in the Sky

Even the worst film ever made may have some compensations. In the case of DANNY IN THE SKY, it's scene after scene of glorious male pulchritude. It would appear that all male cast members were required by contract to doff their shirts at least once per scene. It goes without saying that all the boys in this film ("boys" in the gay-male sense: young men between the ages of 18 and, oh, 26) are beautiful specimens -- it would be pointless for them to be otherwise -- with special props to Thierry Pepin in the title role, who may have the most flawless physique in cinematic history. Unfortunately, every time an actor opens his mouth, the film -- intellectually -- goes down the tubes. The writing, acting, sets, and direction are all uniformly awful. Since this film was made in French (in Quebec) with English subtitles, the only way to watch the DVD is sans subtitles, or with the sound turned off altogether, which should help concentrate your mind on the only possible justification for DANNY IN THE SKY: Thierry Pepin's body.

To market this as a gay film is insulting. The main character is not gay. There is nothing in Danny's behavior that marks him for gay. He pursues women the entire movie, finally ending up with one of the most annoying women in the movie. One wants to knock that ever-present camera right out of her hands.

The movie itself is so-so. None of the characters are especially likable and the bitter dad looks almost as hunky as his onscreen son.

This movie is a world of men who dress in ridiculous effete clothing and try and act studly. not really worth more than a look at the main character who is truly beautiful.

There is one very good reason to watch this film: Thierry Pepin as Danny. He is, without doubt, one of the most exquisite boys on film, with a stunning body and a profound natural sexiness. He also happens to be a very good actor, a fact which might well be overlooked because his beauty and potent physical presence are so overpowering.

Danny's life is a rather gut-wrenching tragedy. He has been orphaned by the death of his mother, and is further alienated by the coldness and brutality of his frustrated gay father. Desperate to be loved, Danny uses his extraordinary looks to get a semblance of it by modeling and, eventually, stripping in a gay club.

His father's distance and anger derive from his decision, supposedly for Danny's benefit, to 'act straight' as he raised his son. An unfortunate choice for them both. His behavior is a study in the negative effects of repression. After one vile act of violence too many, Danny leaves home for good.

Rejected by his father, abandoned by his girlfriend, and betrayed by his cousin, Danny commits an irresponsible and perilous act of revenge. He immediately regrets it, but the damage is done and he must live with the consequences.

Danny's humiliation and isolation is complete when his father finally chooses to embrace his homosexuality, and does so by sleeping with his son's only friend. This is truly one nasty guy. Danny is now truly alone. No friends. No family. One can only hope that he might live to find the peace and love he so consciously, and heartbreakingly, seeks.

When I went to see Danny in the Sky, I was all by myself in the theatre and I understood why after seeing the worst movie made in Quebec over the past 5 years. The acting is amateur, the story is boring and the whole thing is very pretentious. They should have hired real actors instead of professional models. I went to see the film because I had read that the director was extremely proud of his film and that his casting had been done very meticulously. Well, talk about overestimating yourself ! What I don't understand is that the director actually got a grant from the government to shoot his film (because this is how it works in Canada, every movie is subsidized by the government since no entrepreneur has enough guts to risk his own money in moviemaking). How can they waste taxpayers' money on that film when a great little film like "Stephanie, Nathalie, Caroline and Vincent" (made in Quebec in 2001) could not get a penny from the government and had to be financed entirely by its producer?

Langlois has a feel for the social content of his stories. There is no Quebec director that I know of who treats the vicissitudes of modern, mainstream gay life with Langlois's acuity and candour.

Because Langlois is something of a small ` m ' maverick, working on the outskirts of the industry with his regular collaborator, producer an co-scripwriter Bertrand Lachance, his movies have a freshness, a directness. Langlois's latest, Danny in the Sky, represents a step up for the director. It's a bigger budget project with higher production values and slick cinematography courtesy of Stefan Ivanov (whose credits include Rodrigue Jean's gritty Full Blast and idiosyncratic Chilean auteur Raoul Ruiz's Généalogies d'un crime). With clothes provided by a slew of Quebec designers and a bumping soundtrack featuring cuts from such techno heroes as DJ Mutante, Les Jardiniers, Luc Raymond and Alain Vinet, to name a few, the film is a showcase for local talent. What Danny does offer (…) is some insight into the slippery nature of sexuality and masculinity. Though feminized by being an object of adoration, a commodity whose body is for sale, Danny learns to forge his own identity. It's such insights that keep me interested in Langlois's work. He has an angle.